standing by her side while wiping a glass. “You want to take off early, it’s okay with me.”
“Thanks, but I don’t know what to do. I’d hoped that there would have been some seats here at the bar for Cael and Bart, making conversation a bit more spontaneous and casual. But walking over to that table and plopping down in a seat with them seems a bit too forward, considering Cael really doesn’t know me.”
“Bart knows you. It’ll be fine. You’re just a jumble of nerves, that’s all. Go on, walk over there and say hi. He met you at Breena’s party, right?” She nodded. “I’m sure he’ll remember you from then. You’re not that easily forgotten, sweetheart.”
Apparently, she was forgettable, at least with Gerry’s help, though she didn’t want to point that out and make him feel any worse about the situation than he already did.
“Here.” Taking off her apron, she chucked it nonchalantly at Gerry’s chest and he caught it in his hand, making her smile. “Wish me luck.” As she strolled past Aiden, he stretched out his arm and touched hers gently. She studied his handsome face. His kind gentle mannerisms made her stop in her tracks. She knew how he felt. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she’d never given him any indication that they would have a future together.
“Good luck.” Not the words she expected to hear from him. “I mean it.” His slight smile told her it must have been a difficult thing to say.
“Thanks.” She sucked in her bottom lip as she made her way, weaving between the tables to get across the room to the corner table where the love of her life sat.
“Hi, Bart.” She looked at Cael. “Hi.”
“Hey, the girl from Breena’s party, right?” Cael gave her a sexy grin and she almost fell into his arms, but simply nodded instead. “Addison.”
She breathed in deeply, trying to squelch every instinct to wrap her arms around him and hold on like she’d never let go. Trying to keep it together and not bombard him with knowledge of their history together. Trying with all her heart not to cry because he didn’t remember her. She’d known instantly that everybody was right when Cael walked in tonight with unfamiliarity written all over his face. She couldn’t tell him. Sure, he recognized her as the girl from Breena’s party, but everything else was blank. She had to keep from telling him. Otherwise, how would she ever know if he loved her, really loved her like he had or if there would simply be affection through an obligation of being told what used to be?
“Most people call me Addie.” She decided to see his reaction to that. He had never called her Addie, ever.
He shrugged. “Hmmm … you strike me as more of an Addison. But if you prefer Addie, then …”
“No, Addison is fine.”
“Come joi …” Bart began but Cael interrupted him.
“Would you like to join us, Addison?”
Her heart raced so fast she thought it would pop out from thumping so hard against her chest. “Sure. I guess I could.”
“Would you like a drink?” As Cael asked the question, Darcy appeared carrying three pints of Guinness draft. She knew . Addie smiled in spite of the guilt she now harbored from making Darcy drop her tray earlier. Nonetheless, a warm fuzzy feeling grew inside her, and she appreciated her friend’s seemingly precognitive gesture, even though Darcy didn’t possess any supernatural abilities. At least none that Addie knew about. Of course, when it came to Addie and Cael, she guessed Darcy didn’t need any super powers to know how she felt or even what she liked to drink. Embarrassing though; she didn’t want it to appear as if her sitting with them had been planned.
“I brought you one too, Addie. When I saw you head over here, I thought you might like a drink after working all evening.” Darcy smiled and placed the three pints on the table. Darcy, you are a lifesaver. Addie would have hugged her right then, if she hadn’t been already sitting
“Thanks, but I don’t know what to do. I’d hoped that there would have been some seats here at the bar for Cael and Bart, making conversation a bit more spontaneous and casual. But walking over to that table and plopping down in a seat with them seems a bit too forward, considering Cael really doesn’t know me.”
“Bart knows you. It’ll be fine. You’re just a jumble of nerves, that’s all. Go on, walk over there and say hi. He met you at Breena’s party, right?” She nodded. “I’m sure he’ll remember you from then. You’re not that easily forgotten, sweetheart.”
Apparently, she was forgettable, at least with Gerry’s help, though she didn’t want to point that out and make him feel any worse about the situation than he already did.
“Here.” Taking off her apron, she chucked it nonchalantly at Gerry’s chest and he caught it in his hand, making her smile. “Wish me luck.” As she strolled past Aiden, he stretched out his arm and touched hers gently. She studied his handsome face. His kind gentle mannerisms made her stop in her tracks. She knew how he felt. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she’d never given him any indication that they would have a future together.
“Good luck.” Not the words she expected to hear from him. “I mean it.” His slight smile told her it must have been a difficult thing to say.
“Thanks.” She sucked in her bottom lip as she made her way, weaving between the tables to get across the room to the corner table where the love of her life sat.
“Hi, Bart.” She looked at Cael. “Hi.”
“Hey, the girl from Breena’s party, right?” Cael gave her a sexy grin and she almost fell into his arms, but simply nodded instead. “Addison.”
She breathed in deeply, trying to squelch every instinct to wrap her arms around him and hold on like she’d never let go. Trying to keep it together and not bombard him with knowledge of their history together. Trying with all her heart not to cry because he didn’t remember her. She’d known instantly that everybody was right when Cael walked in tonight with unfamiliarity written all over his face. She couldn’t tell him. Sure, he recognized her as the girl from Breena’s party, but everything else was blank. She had to keep from telling him. Otherwise, how would she ever know if he loved her, really loved her like he had or if there would simply be affection through an obligation of being told what used to be?
“Most people call me Addie.” She decided to see his reaction to that. He had never called her Addie, ever.
He shrugged. “Hmmm … you strike me as more of an Addison. But if you prefer Addie, then …”
“No, Addison is fine.”
“Come joi …” Bart began but Cael interrupted him.
“Would you like to join us, Addison?”
Her heart raced so fast she thought it would pop out from thumping so hard against her chest. “Sure. I guess I could.”
“Would you like a drink?” As Cael asked the question, Darcy appeared carrying three pints of Guinness draft. She knew . Addie smiled in spite of the guilt she now harbored from making Darcy drop her tray earlier. Nonetheless, a warm fuzzy feeling grew inside her, and she appreciated her friend’s seemingly precognitive gesture, even though Darcy didn’t possess any supernatural abilities. At least none that Addie knew about. Of course, when it came to Addie and Cael, she guessed Darcy didn’t need any super powers to know how she felt or even what she liked to drink. Embarrassing though; she didn’t want it to appear as if her sitting with them had been planned.
“I brought you one too, Addie. When I saw you head over here, I thought you might like a drink after working all evening.” Darcy smiled and placed the three pints on the table. Darcy, you are a lifesaver. Addie would have hugged her right then, if she hadn’t been already sitting
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